Separating solid matter from hot wort



Nov. 21, 1950 w, BENEDICT 2,530,594

SEPARATING SOLID MATTER FROM HOT WORT Filed Feb. 4,-- 1948 s 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR:

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' ATTORNEYs Nov. 21, 1 950 F. w. BENEDICT SERARATING SOLID MATTIER FROM HOT WORT Filed Feb.. 4, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR TI -15 WBMM,

ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1950 F. w. BENEDICT I SEPARATING SOLID MATTER FROM HOT WORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 4; 1948 I'QWS ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 21, 1950 .Eremont Benedict, Upper Darby; Pa assignor to F. W: Benedict, Emily Benedict, E: W. Hipp, and'EveHippp copartners trading under the name 0f Bruell Products Company, 'Philadelphia; Pa.

:- Application February 4,- 19.4 8', .Serial'No. 6, 267

S CIaims.

1 Thisinvention relates to thesedimentation *of :solidmatter' from hot wort in'theibrewingin- .dustry. ."The invention aimsito' provide an improved .meth'od Tof and. apparatus for separating asolidematter' from hot. wort.

In" the brewing .of .beerj'the'i not wort is conducted from the hop separatorto tanks in which .some s'edimentationpf solidmatter takes place -as well as some cooling. .From'the hot wort C tanks the wort passesthrough'coolers to the starting tanks. "Due to the presentday large production of beer,jgreat1y in excess of'that for ,w'hich'lthe usual. equipment'was"originally designed and. intended, the wort; is flowed through T" the hot wort tanks without .an adequate-detem'" tion. period iorsedimenting" the solid matter or .trub as it isQtermedintheibrewing .art. "The 1 excessive amount of trub, due to inadequate sedimentation; increases the; amount .of sludge in the starting .tanks, and the frequent periodic remoyallof, thissludge involves a considerable loss of beer.

The present, invention aimsto effect aisepara- .tion from,ithe hot wortof-most oiitheniitrog- .enous substances, and hop resins prior "to 'the delivery of the worttoi the coolers'andstarters. .The..meth'od.of the invention'involves'introducing..the.. hot i wortlinto a. charging zone where .the..wort is under some turbulence and" from whence it.fiows into .an adjacentand'substan- I ltially'larger quiescent zone. The communica- .tion between the two *zones is. well "below the liqmu'idllevel; and substantially clear wort -is"with- .drawn from the quiescent zone nearthe liquid ...lev,el.and at a point "as remote as practical from .the. charging zone." The apparatus of the inventicn comprises. a tank'of any desired configuration having a partition dividingthe tank into a charging or' feeding compartment and a' settling compartment of considerably larger volume than'the charging compartment. The lower end of the partition'is spaced ashortdistance above the. bottom of'the tank, and the" space between "the partition and the tankbottomprovides the communication between the two compartments. The hot wort is preferably delivered in a stream above the. liquid level, so that it splashes-into the wort in'the charging compartment and keeps the wort there in agitation. A float-controlled dischargeis provided for'withdrawing substantially clear'wortirom nearthe liquid level "of the-settling compartment at apoint remote from the partition.

'fThe ioregoing and-other novel "features of'the invention will be best understood from the "folin z .1 lowing description taken in conjunction Withl'the accompanying drawings, inwhich "Fig. 1 is a top plan of arectangular hot wort "tank embodying the invention,

"Fig. 2' is aseetional-elevation on thesection "line 2--2 ofFi 1,

Fig". 3 is a detail view of thefloat-controlled discharge taken'on the-section line 3 -3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a top planof a modified form of rectangular-tank embodying the invention,

Fig. 5 is a-sectionalelevation on the section Fig; 6 is a' top plan-of acircular hot wort'tank embodying the invention; and

:' Fig; '7 a sectional elevation "of theztank of Fig. 6.

The-invention-may be applied to hot wort'ta'nks or" any size or shape. As presently'installedthese "tanks are designed to receivethe hot wort from one or more'brew kettles, and hence the tank "capacity depends on the size of the brew, vary- "ing "Horn-2000 gallons; in the case of a small -"brewerypup'"to 30,600 gallons or *more, in the case of the larger breweries. -It has heretofore been the' custom to clean outthe tanks after The invention'may be-readily applied to existing "tanks;.and"results in improved clarification of the hot Wort, more rapid sedimentation of solid "matter, and increasedhot wort tank capacity 1" forithe same size brew.

embodied" in arectangular-tank m.

In Figs; 1, 21and 3 the invention is shown The tank isiprovided'with atransverse partition H extending from-the top to within a short distance 'of'jthe bottom, and dividing the tank into a charging or feeding compartment-A and a settlingmompartment B. The space 0' between "the lower end ofthe partition and the tank bottom provides-the communicationbetween the two compartments 'well' below themaximum liquid level a'in 'the'tank. The settling compartment "(has several 'times the volume "bf the charging compartment. For examplein a'-medium-sized tank25.feet:long;' the partition ilmay'be posifltioned" 3-5 feet from* one end of the tank. "such aitank' about 10 feet deep; the partition m'ayextend" to within about lZ-inches of the ""tank' bottom. The partition has a hinged door I! which in thenormal settlingjoperation of "thetanleis' securely closed. "The -purpose of the door is to permit' free" "access between the -two compartments A and B when the tank is emptied and being cleaned. A normally-c1osed clean-out opening or manhole ll is provided at the bottom of the end wall of the settling compartment of the tank.

The hot wort is introduced into the charging compartment A through a valved delivery pipe 12. The discharge end of this pipe is preferably positioned above the liquid level in the tank, so that the entering stream of hot wort splashes into the Wort in the charging compartment to agitate it and cause such a state of turbulence that the solids are kept in suspension. The bottom of the settling compartment hasa valved outlet l3 approximate the end of the tank remote from the partition. A pipe i has a swiveled and liquidtight connection with the outlet I3, and is thus adapted to be moved so that its goose-neck inlet 14 may be positioned at any height within the tank. A float i is operatively connected to the pipe [4 near its inlet, and is adapted to hold the inlet M of the pipe just beneath the liquid level in the tank, irrespective of what that level may be. The pipe i4 is provided with an adjustable foot [6 adapted to hold the inlet i l just above the sludge level in the tank in the last stage of emptying the tank.

In practicing the invention in the apparatus of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the hot wort from the hop separator is introduced into the charging compartment A through the delivery pipe 52. When the tank is about full, say with the liquid level at about a, the valve of the discharge pipe !3 is opened, and substantially clear wort is withdrawn by decantation from near the liquid level in the compartment B and at a point remote from the compartment A. A state of gentle turbulence is maintained in the compartment A which keeps the solids in suspension and also promotes flocculation of fine solids into aggregates or flocs of increased size and faster settling quality. The wort with its thus-iiocculated solid matter flows gently into the compartment B well below the liquid level and thus causes a minimum disturbance of the desired quiescence of the wort in compartment B. Due to the quiescent state of the wort in the compartment B, the solids settle rapidly and very completely, so that at the far or remote end of the compartment the wort near the liquid level is substantially clear. to the liquid level a, the introduction of hot wort and the withdrawal of substantially clear wort may proceed in a continuous manner, one brew being pumped into the tank on top of another while withdrawing at all times a clear effluent. The optimum operation results by maintaining the rate of wort flow through the tank slower than the settling rate of the solid matter. When it becomes necessary to clean out the tank, say after 3 or more brews. the introduction of hot wort is stopped. and the pipe i4 is permitted to gradually swing downwardly about its swivel connection with the outlet i3 until the foot IB rests on the bottom of the tank, the float l5 holding the inlet Hi just below the liquid level as that level gradually falls in the emptying of the tank. The sludge or trub is then discharged through the manhole I1. Whenever it becomes desirable to thoroughly clean the tank, after the discharge of the sludge, the door H is opened, and the sides and bottom of the tank are hosed-down or scraped, and the wash liquid discharged through the manhole H.

The tank of Figs. 4 and 5 is constructed to permit the discharge of the conventional hop sepa- With the tank filled partment B, communicating with one another through the space C between the lower end of the partition 2! and the tank bottom. Like the partition H, the partition 2! extends from the top of the tank downwardly to within a short distance of the bottom of the tank, and has a clean-out door 2|. The valved outlet I3, pipe 14, float l5, foot l6 and clean-out manhole H are of the same construction as in the tank of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The longitudinal partition 20 increases the length of the path Of flow of the wort through the quiescent compartment B and to some extent this promotes settling of the solids. The hop separator may be positioned directl above the charging compartment A, in order to discharge directly into the compartment. Hot wort may be introduced into the charging compartment through the delivery pipe 42, rather than from the hop separator, if desired.

The circuiar tank 30 of Figs. 6 and '7 has near one side a cylindrical charging or feeding well 3! which extends from the top of the tank to within a short distance of the bottom. Like the partitions II and 2!, the cylinder 3i divides the tank into a charging compartment A and a quiescent compartment B communicating through the space C between the lower end of the cylinder and the tank bottom. The cylinder 3| is secured to the tank by stays 32, and has a hinged door 3| corresponding to the doors ll and 2|. The clean-out manhole l? is in the bottom of the tank wall opposite the cylinder 3!. The outlet is is in the bottom of the tank opposite the cylinder 3l. The fioat-controlled pipe I4 is connected to the outlet as hereinbefore described.

The tanks of Figs. 4 and 5 and Figs. 6 and 7 are used in the practice of the invention in the same manner as hereinbefore described in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The hot wort, generally at approximately the boiling temperature, say between 200 and 212 F'., is introduced into the charging compartment so as to keep the wort therein in a state of agitation. This agitation accompanied by some cooling tends to fiocculate the finely divided nitrogenous and other solid matter and expeditcs the hot break or sedimentation of solids in the setting compartment. The Wort in the settling compartment is comparatively quiescent and settling proceeds in a highly efiicient manner. The settling compartment or zone of quiescence should be as large as practical, and the charging compartment or zone of turbuence should be relatively small. Substantially all of the sludge or trub is removed from the wort in the settling compartment, and substantially clear wort is delivered through the outlet 13 to the coolers and starting tanks.

I claim:

1. The improvement in separating finelydivided solid matter from hot wort which comprises introducing the hot wort into a confined zone, maintaining the Wort in the confined zone in a state of turbulence to keep so'ids therein in suspension for a length of time suificient to permit flocculation of finely-divided solid particles intoaggregrates or noes of increased size and taster settling quality, passing the wort containing the aggregates or flocs from the bottom of the zone of turbulence into the bottom of an adjacent quiescent zone of substantially greater volume than the zone of turbulence, and withdrawing substantially clear wort from near the surface of said quiescent zone at a point remote from where the wort passes into that zone from the zone of turbulence.

2. The improvement in separating finelydivided solid matter from hot wort as defined in claim 1 in which the hot wort is passed substantially continuously through the turbulent and quiescent zones.

3. The improvement in separating finelydivided solid matter from hot wort as defined in claim 1 in which the hot wort is introduced into the turbulent zone in such manner as to maintain the wort therein in a state of turbulence.

FREMONT W. BENEDICT.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

